Take in Stride

Take in Stride Take in Stride Take in Stride By Maeve Maddox A reader is curious about the expression â€Å"to take in stride†: What exactly does it mean and where does the expression come from? The verb stride is one of those lovely old words to survive from Old English. As an intransitive verb, stride means to walk with long or extended steps. The word connotes confidence and purpose. The past tense is strode; the past participle is stridden. The word is frequent in tales of knighthood: From out of the forest strides Merlin, dramatic, cape flowing When [the Green Knight] came to the water he would not wade it, but sprang over with the pole of his axe and strode boldly over the brent that was white with snow. The White Knight had stridden  confidently forward, armor glinting in the sun Stride is alive and well in contemporary contexts: From the start there was something about Woods’ air of invincibility that rubbed me the wrong way as I  watched him stride  down a fairway. It was a case of playing for pride when The Reds strode out onto the field for the final metro of the spring season. The verb bestride is not much used by modern writers, but can be found in literature. It means â€Å"to straddle or to step across.† For example, one bestrides a horse. A victor bestrides his enemy as he stands above him with a foot at each side of the prostrate body. Cassius vividly describes the ambitious Caesar as a giant standing high above ordinary people: Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow world Like a Colossus, and we petty men Walk under his huge legs and peep about To find ourselves dishonorable graves. As a noun, stride refers to a long step taken in walking: Having a longer stride can give you the edge you need when it comes to competing in a race.   In late 2007, the crossing [of Ladd Creek] was simply a long stride from one large rock to another. Idioms like â€Å"take in stride† are based on the noun. Here are the most common: to take in stride: to accept advances or setbacks as normal, to be dealt with as they arise. The image is of a person walking along without stopping for distractions. Examples: Successful traders take losses in stride. There was a time when Americans  took political  cartoons  in stride Paul Ryan  takes  fame and hecklers  in stride. to get into stride/to hit one’s stride: to reach a comfortable and efficient pace. Runners use this idiom in a literal sense to refer to getting into stride before reaching their optimum pace. Figuratively, it refers to the process of settling into a new job or situation. Examples: But Higuain is not the only striker who has struggled to get into his stride in front of goal in this tournament. How Long Did It Take To Hit Your Stride? to make strides: to make progress Lauvao making  strides  as he adjusts  to  Washingtons offense Future MBAs  Make Career Strides to break stride: to deviate from a steady pace while walking, running, or marching. This is another sports term that may be used literally. Figuratively, â€Å"to break stride† would be to pause or stop whatever one is doing. Paper blowing across the track can cause a horse to break stride. Rocco followed with a spiel that I clocked at five minutes and that never broke stride or, to my ear, approached coherence. to put off stride: to cause someone to deviate from a steady stride or movement in sports; to interfere with someone’s expected progress; to disconcert. The horse left his feet and was thrown  off stride  for a brief time. We like people who can laugh at themselves, who can find something risible in the news, and who may put an opponent off stride with some anecdotal jibes. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Handy Expressions About HandsSocial vs. Societal20 Names of Body Parts and Elements and Their Figurative Meanings